Senior Content Designer

About us

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements

Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advice, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. The team have been nominated three times in a row for ‘Best Public Sector Employer’ at the Women in Tech awards!

About the role

Content design is one of the government’s user-centred design professions that create and improve services so that the department can achieve the outcomes it seeks.

DBT’s content designers help businesses use our digital products by making complex language on GOV.UK and business.gov.uk easier to understand. They also design the department’s intranet so that people working here can support businesses efficiently.

We make sure content meets users’ needs, is up to date, and complies with the latest accessibility standards.

We use research insights to inform designs and evaluate how well the content is performing. We use this evidence to innovate, improve and provide a better service for our users.

In this role, you will be responsible for creating, iterating, and managing written content for our online platforms – GOV.UK, business.gov.uk and the intranet. The role does not include graphic design or creating content for social media, marketing campaigns or email marketing.

The role will be based in either London, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Belfast or Salford and will require travel to other DBT offices at least once a quarter. This may be for training or team-building purposes.

Main responsibilities

We’re looking for a Senior Content Designer who can work within ambitious and aspirational agile teams.

You will be expected to:

• create, iterate, publish and manage the life cycle of high-quality, user-centred content – so that it meets user needs and departmental aims
• make complex language and processes easily understandable
• use research and insights to inform designs, and analytics and feedback to evaluate and improve content
• collaborate with policy stakeholders to understand their goals and work with them to improve user journeys, content quality, and performance
• work on content projects within a portfolio and adapt to changing priorities and deadlines
• be open to critiques of your work and provide helpful design feedback to others to ensure high quality work
• support the development and implementation of content strategies and be an active participant in the UCD community
• understand the wider context of your work in relation to UCD practice and the offer to users across multiple products

Skills and experience

It is essential that you have substantial experience of:

• designing accessible and plain English content
• contributing to content patterns, processes or guidelines
• working within an Agile framework
• managing relationships with stakeholders and influencing them to consider evidence about user needs and perspectives
• making complex policy, regulatory, or technical concepts easy to understand
• using quantitative and qualitative data to make content decisions
• using different types of prototypes to show, explain and test your content

It is desirable that you have:

• an interest in the economy, businesses, and trade
• exposure to Service Design

How to apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a CV (no more than 2 pages) and complete a personal statement (maximum 650 words) outlining how you meet the essential criteria listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer We will sift applications to decide who to invite to interview in the week commencing 14th July. Interviews will be from the week commencing 28th July

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at your CV only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.

How we interview

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework Technical Skills

• Strategic thinking
• Applying knowledge of users' context and standards
• Advocating and developing the UCD practice
• Writing, editing and prototyping
• Content management, leadership and assurance

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

How we offer

Job offers will be made in merit order. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring candidate, you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a ‘near miss’ at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. DBT’s requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• security services record
• location details

Benefits

If you join us, you will get:

• learning and development tailored to your role
• a flexible, hybrid working environment with options such as condensed hours
• a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service
• three paid volunteering days a year
• an employee benefits programme including cycle to work

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London salary weighting. DBT employees are contracted to work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website.

Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!